Godsmack prides itself on having more songs in the Top 10 rock charts than Foo Fighters or Aerosmith , as indicated at the beginning of the band's biography on their official website. Founded in 1995 by Sully Erna , the Boston band has amassed a collection of hits and hasn't lost its touch in its most recent releases, but is already preparing its farewell to the studios.
Founded by Sully Erna , who finally embarked on his own project after years in failed bands, Godsmack has achieved memorable commercial milestones: in addition to multi-platinum status and more than ten tracks reaching the top of the Billboard charts, the band has been nominated for a Grammy, although their name isn't always immediately recognizable here like those of the bands they've surpassed on the charts.
However, the situation is different now, and the band has announced the end of producing new hits: the new album, Lighting Up The Sky , to be released on February 24th, will be the band's last. In an interview with Wikimetal , drummer Shannon Larkin explained that the band will not cease to exist, but has simply decided not to release new albums after 25 years.
“You end up getting into a pattern of making an album, touring, taking a break, making another album, touring, and taking another break for a few decades. And we feel that, even though certain fans might enjoy hearing new music and new albums, the truth and proof is that when we're doing a show, when you play a new song, that's the moment when people go out to buy a beer or use the bathroom,” he said.
Besides this apparent lack of fan interest in new material, Shannon recalls his adolescence, when he watched Iron Maiden and Judas Priest and thought that the members in their 30s were "the old guys." Today, with everyone in Godsmack in their 50s, the drummer acknowledges that "we are the old guys"—and that's also where the desire to break free from the routine that new releases create comes from.
Without the obligation to release new albums, the goal is to have more freedom to continue performing outside of the cycle of promoting new projects demanded by the music business machine: “We're going to get out of the machine and stop making products to sell to record labels. We don't need anything else, we've achieved our goal of making a living from music. Come on, that's the American dream, isn't it?”
In the final stretch, the promotional cycle for the new album brings Godsmack to South America for the first time, with their debut on Brazilian stages scheduled for April 27th in São Paulo, at the Vibra concert hall, produced by Mercury Concerts.
Godsmack's visit to São Paulo was originally scheduled for November 12th of last year, but the band decided to postpone the date citing "logistical problems" after facing issues with the pandemic and a hurricane that hit the state of Florida in the United States.
“We decided we needed to deal with these issues, but we wouldn’t cancel [the shows in South America]. We’re going, and we hope you know that almost everyone I know loves Brazil, we love Brazilians, the passionate people of the country. Just watching videos of bands that have played there, we realize what the audience is like, and we can’t wait for the show,” he said. “It’s so far from here, you know? And so difficult to get there, but we’re going.”
The opportunity to finally perform for a Brazilian audience is cited as a guarantee of total commitment from the band's "gypsies," as Shannon describes himself and his bandmates, who prioritize a completely live experience without backing tracks.
“Our passion for playing music will match Brazil’s love for music. That’s the universal language: as long as we’re still passionate, we’ll always keep touring,” he emphasized. “We’re going to rock and put on a Godsmack show with everything we’re entitled to, we’re going to give it our all.”
SERVICE: Godsmack in Brazil
Date: April 27, 2023 (Thursday)
Venue: Vibra SP (Avenida das Nações Unidas, 17.955 – São Paulo)
Doors: 8 PM
Show: 10 PM
Age Rating: 14 (fourteen) years old unaccompanied. Minors under 14 (fourteen) years old may attend the event provided they are accompanied by their parents and/or legal guardians. Information subject to change, according to judicial decision.
